Best Movies of 2012

Top movies I saw in 2012 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In no particular order. (My top books list is here.)

1. Red River (1948) directed by Howard Hawks, stars John Wayne, Montgomery Clift
   Possibly the perfect Western. (my review here)
   
   
2. Skyfall (2012) directed by Sam Mendes, stars Daniel Craig, Judi Dench
   An exhilarating combination of new and old which remakes the Bond franchise. (my review here)
   
   
3. Life of Pi (2012) directed by Ang Lee, stars Suraj Sharma
   One castaway boy, one raft, one Bengal tiger ... and God. (my review here)
   
   
4. Les Miserables (2012) directed by Tom Hooper, stars Hugh Jackman, et al.
   Mercy, courage, and God's saving grace. With some fantastic singing. (my review here)
   
   
5. The Avengers (2012) directed by Joss Whedon, stars Robert Downey Jr, et al.
   Supervillains from space threaten Earth. Superheroes save it. Spectacularly.
   
   
6. John Carter of Mars (2012) directed by Andrew Stanton, stars Taylor Kitsch
   Derring do, a maiden to rescue, a battered but worthy hero ... on Mars. (My review here)
   
   
7. Brave (2012) directed by Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman
   Pixar's "girl" movie. A delightful fable with strong, likable women.
   
   
8. The Mill and the Cross (2011) directed by Lech Majewski, stars Rutger Hauer, Michael York
   Luminous masterpiece based on Pieter Bruegel's The Way to Calvary. (my review here)
   
   
9. Love in the Afternoon (1957) directed by Billy Wilder, stars Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper
   Frothy fun. Detective's daughter is fascinated by a playboy.
   
   
10. Margin Call (2011) directed by J. C. Chandor, stars Kevin Spacey, et al.
    24-hours of decisions in a financial crisis. It works.
    
    
11. Moneyball (2011) directed by Bennett Miller, stars Brad Pitt
    Building better baseball with computer analysis. Sounds terrible. It isn't.
    
    
12. Bill Cunningham, New York (2011) directed by Richard Press
    Documentary about a man obsessed with fashion. Unlikely but terrific.
    
    
13. The Mark of Zorro (1940) directed by Rouban Mamoulian, stars Tyrone Power
    Power is a subtler, funnier, better swashbuckler than Errol Flynn. Watch this.
    
    
14. The Body Snatcher (1945) directed by Robert Wise, stars Boris Karloff, et al.
    Grave robbing and worse in 1831 Edinburgh. Karloff's a stand out.

Best Books of 2012

Top books I read in 2012 with descriptions in 10 words or less. In no particular order.

1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
   A great book. Too bad she didn't stop at that one.
   
   
2. Gospel of Mark (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture) by Mary Healey
   Very accessible while still being scholarly. (my review here)
   
   
3. Coraline by Neil Gaiman
   A children's story that isn't just for kids. I listened to Gaiman's excellent narration. (discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
4. The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
   Made me wish both sides could win the Battle of Gettysburg. (review at Goodreads; discussion/review at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
   
   
5. Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill
   A book about books, people, places, and life. (review at Goodreads)
   
   
6. The Hidden Princess by Stephanie Angelini
    Enchanting new "classic" fairy tale (My review here)
   
   
7. The Art of Faith:A Guide to Understanding Christian Images by Judith Couchman
   Just what the subhead says (my review here)
   
   
8. Heidi by Joanna Spryy
   An old classic still has the power to surprise. (my review here)
   
   
9. The Beckoning Fair One by Oliver Onions
   Subtle ghost story a la Turn of the Screw (review at Goodreads, audio reading/discussion at SFFaudio)
   
   
10. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
    Mystery, horror, romance, character examination, and riveting  (review here,  review/discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
    
    
11. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
    In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit... reread. (review and related items here,  review/discussion at A Good Story is Hard to Find)
    
    
12. Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI)
    Dense but accessible in tons of places. (excerpts and review at Goodreads)